Furniture should be functional, relatively easy to assemble and aesthetically pleasing. These requirements are sometimes in conflict. Furthermore, the ever changing nature of modern furniture materials also has an impact on these requirements. For example, transparent or translucent materials, such as glass, should also have the capability of being cleaned and this may require removal of the glass from the table.
Furniture manufactures are continuously seeking new methods of assembling their furniture, as well as reducing labor and material costs attributable thereto. The prior art discloses a number of mechanisms for attaching the legs of a table to the table top. For example, it is conventional to weld the legs to the metal rim of a table, to screw or bolt the legs directly to the table top and to connect the legs in a manner which causes the connection to be hidden. None of these various mechanisms, on the other hand, is particularly well suited for the rapid and secure attachment of a metal leg to a glass topped table.
In view of the above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there is a need for an apparatus and method which permits the legs of a glass topped table to be securely attached thereto in a manner which permits the table to be rapidly assembled, the top to be cleaned and the table to be sturdy. The disclosed invention is just such an apparatus and method and one that can be manufactured from extruded aluminum or plastic parts, and one merely requiring the use of a screwdriver for assembly and disassembly of the table.